Recipe for Kisses Read Online Free PDF

house or at least to remodel this one. But Harry was proud and the mortgage was paid, so he saw no need to change a thing. Ben would have preferred to rent a hotel suite or a loft downtown, but the kids had come to stay with his father immediately after Cory had been arrested. He didn’t want to uproot them again when they both seemed comfortable in this old house built in the Denver Square style.
    “You’re slicker than snot on a doorknob, Mike.” Harry’s booming laugh filled the kitchen. “I like that.” He took a bite of pizza then gave Michael a hearty slap on the back. “The Rockies start a three-game home series tonight. Let me know if you want to catch a game while you’re in town. I can set you up with tickets, and I’ll slip you a free hot dog if I’m working.”
    “Thanks,” Michael said, peering over his shoulder, probably to see if he had grease or tomato sauce staining his tailored suit. “I’m flying out this afternoon, but if our boy is serious about these restaurant plans, I’ll be back soon.”
    “He’s serious.” Harry’s gaze settled on Ben. “My son might have made it big, but he knows family comes first.”
    Before Ben could reply, Abby nudged his hip. “You’re in my way,” she said in her typical drill-sergeant tone. He moved and she took a dish from the cabinet behind him. “Has Zach eaten breakfast?”
    Guilt stabbed at Ben. Zach had come down at least thirty minutes ago but had gone right to the family room and turned on the TV. Ben hadn’t given a thought to making the kid something for breakfast. His first pseudo-parent fail of the morning. Brilliant.
    “I’ll bring him a Pop-Tart,” Abby said, gauging his expression. The girl was spooky with how accurately she could read him.
    “I can make omelets,” he offered.
    “Pop-Tarts are better,” she said and plucked up the two that had just popped from the toaster.
    “I’ll bring OJ,” Harry said, grabbing the carton from the fridge and three plastic cups. “That kid’s going to need to give up the video games for a few minutes. I want to check out SportsCenter before I take my morning constitutional.”
    Ben heard Abby groan as they left the room.
    “I’ll have an omelet,” Michael told him, placing the empty pizza plate in the sink.
    “Make your own,” Ben mumbled, scrubbing a hand over his face.
    Michael only laughed. “Back to business, Benny-boy . I spent yesterday on the phone with one of Denver’s top commercial realtors. If you’re determined to open your first restaurant in your long-ago abandoned hometown, he’s got way better options for you than converting an old-time toy store into a ‘Ben the Beast’ signature restaurant.”
    “Lay off the nickname.”
    “It’s not just a nickname, it’s your brand. I still don’t understand why you’d want to screw it up by leaving Vegas.”
    “Thanks to the shooting schedule for the TV show and all the damn promotional appearances you’ve got me doing, I haven’t been in a Vegas kitchen for almost two years.”
    “But your legend lives on,” Michael argued. “There are at least two different investment groups hounding me about their partnering with you.”
    Ben stalked to the edge of the kitchen. “No partnerships. I told you that.” He’d worked round the clock for years to finally gain the title of executive chef. But even when he’d taken over the kitchen at La Lune, the five-star showpiece in one of the Strip’s luxury hotels, he’d had to create dishes that fit with the elite theme of the restaurant. He’d become an expert at sourcing the most exclusive ingredients and using them in innovative ways but had no real style of his own beyond high-dollar excess.
    “They’ll give you as much control as you want.”
    “Bullshit.” Ben slammed his hand on the counter. “Men in suits are great at making promises before the dotted line is signed. Things go to hell once the contract is locked in.”
    “ A Beast in Your Kitchen has been a